Why would Paul name two men getting it wrong then apparently write ‘so the answer is don’t let women teach?’ Writing something which for 2000 years since has been used – by men – to clobber women into submission at worst, or relegate them to help in Sunday school at best?Could it be because we’ve read the rest of scripture through the lens of these two verses, rather than the other way round?
God is giving you a restart, a reset, don’t waste it! In every area of life – all thinking is now rethinking and we want to help you navigate what, who, how and when – while never losing sight of the WHY.
“God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything.” When you realise God’s word is not chained, it sets you free, and helps you endure anything. There’s so much bad news you can choose to be your focus, or you can partner with the unchained, unhindered good news.
Leaders measure stuff. Previously it was fairly easy to see whether you were doing okay. But what if what we re busy measuring no longer matters?
Online possibilities are not just a means to get through the current crisis but the future ‘new wineskin’ that the church has not been pouring anything like enough into. What if this is how we disciple nations?!
We can’t just try to return to normal. We must ask, “What’s God been trying to say to us?” Our natural condition and propensity is to go with what we know. But that won’t take us into what we need to look and lead forward into.
in this Covid-19 season, when people are so much more open and looking for hope than ever, I thought, “Why not think differently? Why not resist the either/or, and do both instead – as well as we can?
Now our posture is not, ‘we’re putting on church for you to come to.’ Rather it’s, “Will you invite us into the church that meets in your house?”
The Church in the west has tried, tried and tried again – and by and large been found wanting – because people don’t want it. We’ve offered a God who people don’t desire, a community where they don’t belong, an institution they distrust.
It’s time for a REFRAME.
“LAUNCH out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4 Peter was a Type A who had been doing everything he knew to do. Working hard, tiring himself out, much effort, little effectiveness, he was pretty much always mending his nets, but that didn’t mean he was successful. The nets were empty and he was frustrated and exhausted. Then the landlubber he calls Lord stands in Peter’s boat as if he owns it and says ‘Launch out into deep water’ That word LAUNCH changed everything for Peter, and reading this passage a few years ago it did so for me too. It has become the name of the multiplication event I helped found, which has now been challenging and equipping hundreds of leaders from around the world to dream bigger and adventure further, to go where God is sending them to reach those he wants them to reach. “Launch” is from epanago, which means “bring up”, “stir up”. “excite”, “lead back”, “elevate”, “exalt”, “bring back”, “withdraw”, “retreat”, and “put out to sea”. That’s what we will do […]